Mitred Archpriest Leonid Kasperski

Mitred Archpriest Leonid Kasperski (1907-1993)

Kasperski may be spelt Kaspersky.

Early life of Leonid Kasperski

On 16 August, 1907, Leonid Kasperski was born in the Village of Ugrin, Slonim district. At that time, this region was part of the Russian Empire. It was not until 1919 that the Belarusian Soviet Socialist Republic was established as a distinct country within the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR).

Higher education

Leonid entered the Faculty of Theological in Vilno (Vilnius), in the Republic of Lithuania, from which he graduated in about 1929.

Ordinations

Leonid Kasperski was ordained to the Holy Diaconate, on 9 September, 1929.

Deacon Leonid Kasperski was ordained to the Holy Priesthood, on 12 September, 1929.

Further education'

The Priest Leonid Kasperski next studied at the Historical Faculty and at the Theological Faculty of the University of Warsaw at Warsaw, Poland. There, he earned the Master of Theology (M.Th.) degree.

In 1938, Priest Leonid Kasperski was awarded the right to wear a Golden Cross.

World War II ; exile

World War II began in 1939, and in was ended in 1945.

During these years, along with a huge number of others, Father Leonid Kasperski was transported to Germany, where he began his permanent exile from his homeland.

In Germany, Father Leonid served the many Orthodox Christians who were subsisting in Displaced Persons (DP) Camps. As did many other priests in his situation, he served the Divine Liturgy and other services, as well as the Services of Needs (Holy Baptism, Holy Matrimony, Funerals, Molebens, Pankhidas, and others) for them.

In 1944, Priest Leonid Kasperski was elevated to the dignity of archpriest.

Emigration to Canada

In 1948, at the time when many displaced persons were finding a permanent residence outside Europe, Archpriest Leonid Kasperski was enabled to emigrate to North America. He was accepted into the Russian Orthodox Greek Catholic Church of North America by Metropolitan Theophilus (Pashkovsky).

Already having long experience in Europe, Archpriest Leonid Kasperski emigrated to Canada in early 1949, where he had been assigned to serve under the omophor of Bishop Dmitry (Magan) of Montréal and the Diocese of Canada. Bishop Dimitry was himself a recently-arrived immigrant, freshly transferred from Western Europe

In February, 1949, with the blessing of Metropolitan Theophilus (Pashkovsky), and of Bishop Dmitry (Magan)] of Montréal and the Diocese of Canada, he arrived in Vancouver, British Columbia. Now a priest of the Russian Orthodox Greek Catholic Church of North America (ROGCCNA), the “Metropolia”, he was appointed rector at Holy Resurrection Church. Archpriest Leonid Kasperski, who was assigned to serve the parish as its rector.

Archpriest Leonid Kaspersky

The parish choir

The choir, the council

The Temple and some parishioners, 1951

The 1950s were a time of much change and momentous events in the life of the parish. In the wake of the completion of the 1927 Communist Revolution in China (in 1949), Russian-speaking families began to arrive from various cities China. (This phenomenon, the so-called “second wave”, was occurring at the same time in cities on the west coast of the USA.) The newcomers revitalised the Holy Resurrection Parish. The “Russian Culture Group” and “Youth Circle” were formed ; and in September 1951, the first “cultural season” (the autumn to spring period of cultural presentations such as singing, dancing, dramas) was officially opened at the Church House (parish hall), with many scheduled events.

During this time, from 1951 until 1957, Holy Resurrection Church in Vancouver, British Columbia, was joined to the Diocese of the West, under the omophor of Bishop John (Shahovskoy). This occurred as part of a plan to divide the Archdiocese of Canada into 3 dioceses. [However, because of adverse circumstances, the plan did not come to fruition.]

In 1951, Metropolitan Leonty (Turkevich), hoping to improve the pastoral service in Canada, divided the Diocese of Canada into 3 parts. This action was undertaken in harmony with the Holy Synod of Bishops of the ROGCCNA. Holy Resurrection Church was attached to the Diocese of San Francisco and the West, in the Northwestern Deanery. Bishop John (Shakhovskoy) of San Francisco, a much-loved archpastor, visited Vancouver in April, 1951, and he announced the pending transfer of Father Leonid to the USA.

Meanwhile, also in 1951, Bishop Nikon (de Grève) was assigned to be the Bishop of Toronto and Canada.

Transfer to USA

In the 1950s and early 1960s, a major shift upwards of the Russian population in San Francisco, California, took place from the Fillmore-Divisadero area to the Richmond and Sunset Districts. Attendance was growing at the bishop’s chapel, and with the bishop’s blessing the idea of building a regular church was addressed by the Cathedral parish.

In this context, Bishop John (Shahovskoy) moved from the over-crowded parish house next to Holy Trinity Cathedral on Green Street, into a newly-acquired house at 2040, Anza Street. A “house church” was established on the second level of the new house.

Archpriest Leonid Kasperski was assigned by Bishop John (Shahovskoy) to serve as Priest-in-charge of the Bishop’s Chapel, and regular services began. He was transferred to the USA by Archbishop John (Shakhovskoy), in February, 1952, and he served as the founding pastor at Christ the Saviour Orthodox Church in San Francisco, California.

Property adjacent to 2040, Anza Street, on 12th Avenue, was acquired.

In 1963, preparation of construction documents for the new church building began.

Of course, this was followed by the actual construction.

Christ the Saviour Sobor, Anza Street

1970 Autocephaly

During the course of the years of his pastoral service, the greatest of the events was the granting by the Russian Orthodox Church of “Autocephaly” (the right to self-government) to the Russian Orthodox Greek Catholic Church of North America. On 31 March, 1970, the ROGCCNA became “The Orthodox Church in America” (OCA).

The years preceding this pivotal moment, and the years afterwards, were marked with a considerable amount of controversy. There were many who were glad of this move on the part of the Church of Russia, since it brought the North American Church into Eucharistic communion with the rest of the Orthodox Church world-wide (meaning the Orthodox Churches that are able to serve the Divine Liturgy together and to receive the Holy Mysteries together at the same Divine Liturgy). There were many also who had no confidence in the Russian Orthodox Church at that time, since it was subsisting within the Soviet Union. It was considered to be tainted by atheistic communism, and such persons did not wish to have any contact with, and certainly not eucharistic communion with that Church.

Especially in San Francisco, the Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia (ROCOR) had a strong, active, and influential presence, and there were sharp tensions between the communities of the ROCOR, the communities of The Orthodox Church in America, and the communities of the Moscow Patriarchate. These tensions were prolonged for many years thereafter.

Retirement

In 1981, Mitred Archpriest Leonid Kasperski was given retirement from active pastoral duties.

In retirement, he was attached to Holy Trinity Cathedral in San Francisco.

However, on 30 June, 1983, Father Leonid was attached as as Pastor Emeritus to the Holy Virgin Protection Church in the Home of Mercy in San Francisco. He resumed the usual pastoral activities.

Then, on 1 March, 1986, he was returned to Retired Status.

Repose

On 23 April, 1993, Mitred Archpriest Leonid Kasperski fell asleep in the Lord in San Francisco, California.

A Panikhida (Memorial Service) was offered for him.

The Funeral Service for the Burial of a Priest was offered for him.

Following the funeral obsequies, the coffin containing the body of Mitred Archpriest Leonid Kasperski was taken for interment in a cemetery not yet identified (on the internet).